2011 Challenge Complete: POC

The People of Color Reading Challenge was the first reading challenge I participated in and I am so glad I did. I've come across interesting and creative authors and illustrators that I might have never read had it not been for the challenge. I signed up for level 4, 10-15 books, and read 17 total that counted towards the challenge. So, here are the books I read with my brief thoughts. Links are to my reviews.

Children's and Young Adult Titles:

• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang 
• I loved the three stories melded into one! The Monkey King story especially ruled! The illustrations were excellent.
• Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshall by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory Christie 
• Awesome Western story. Awesome illustrations. A favorite for sure.
• The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
• I've read little fiction set in the Middle East and I just loved this heartbreaking story. 
• Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose
• The photos from the 1950s surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Claudette's involvement in it really made this book stand out for me.
• Exposure by Mal Peet
• Poverty, wealth, obscurity, celebrity. An assigned read that turned out to be great. 
• Latasha and the Little Red Tornado by Michael Scotto 
• Written by a newer author this was a touching little story about a girl and her dog.
• Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
• A boy works through his troubles by writing poetry. Received much praise but not from me.
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia William
• The sisters' rivalry made this otherwise slow story interesting for me. 
• Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey 
• A look through a child's eyes at what it was like for African American families to travel by car during the Jim Crow era. A thumbs up.
• Shadow by Suzy Lee
• A wordless book. It's strength was its simplicity.
• Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
• It left me feeling a little unfulfilled but incredibly immersed in culture -- and very hungry.
• Wave by Suzy Lee
• Another wordless book. Very imaginative.
• WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
• The illustrations were great. The narrative got a smidge slow. 
• Zan-Gah by Allen Richard Shickman
• Was hoping for a bit more action though there is plenty of it. 

Adult Titles:

• The Broken Kingdoms by J.K. Jemisin
• The second in a trilogy. I liked it ok but nothing to write home about.
• The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave Related by Herself
• Very cool edition of this narrative. A second read which I enjoyed again. 
• In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.
• Ok, I never want to be a doctor. That's what I learned from this book.